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Please do not pre-bait

Hi ian
I thought the idea of pre baiting is to get fish used to finding food in a particular area???..but i completely agree about people pre baiting with large amounts of boilies or pellets because that is plain stupid imo...;)
 
Craig,

According to the experts fish know where food settles, where it is more safe and less safe to feed, etc...... In most rivers there is enough natural food to sustain them completely.

Most people, or at least most people I know pre-bait with the sole intention of getting fish "hooked" on their bait of choice so they will actively seek it out when introduced in an angling application.
 
Ian
Thats what i meant ian..trying to get fish out of where they feel safe which is often either by a snag or in-accesible to us the angler..I dont think it makes much difference what bait you use whats more important is that the fish feel safe when feeding..
 
Ian Crook said:
OK, being more specific.

If you are planning to fish a venue where almost every swim will be taken from the 16th June to about the end of august, such as many on the Kennet, please do not spend the next three weeks throwing handfuls of boilies or pellets in every swim, every day.............

I know of 8 different people who are all putting around a kilo a week of boilies in the same small stretch and have been for the last 2 months, I just think this type of practice is stupid, I certainly won't bother fishing it this summer as a result!!!

Feeding maggots, hemp or corn would be quite pointless anyway as the fish know they are food and they will simply wash through the river.

The reason people pre-bait is to get their bait of choice "known" as a food source prior to applying it in a fishing situation.

The request was a polite one, if you don't agree that is your choice..................
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I agree entirely with that senario Ian, it sounds like St Pats when the circus hit town, and i've got a good idea of where you are talking about.
you wouldn't see me dead on a stretch like that, numpteys all of them.

Your initial post was a blanket request, and why i said not every one piles it in in that manner.

There is prebaiting, and then what is more akin to dumping.
responsible prebaiting does no harm at all, and in my opinion enhances your fishing.

Craig,
Thats ok if you are happy to catch what ever is in front of you.
The enjoyment i get from my fishing is the challenge of trying to single out the bigger stamp of fish present ( not always succesfully :D )

The methods i use on small rivers definatley work IMO.
 
Hi to both Ians..
Do you think that a certain bait will catch a bigger fish?..Im not mocking either of you im very interested in your views..This season im targetting the hamps avon and dorset stour im hoping to stalk and single out the bigger fish so any info you would be happy to share will be gratefully recieved..
Regards craig
 
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Craig Wood said:
Hi ian
I thought the idea of pre baiting is to get fish used to finding food in a particular area???..but i completely agree about people pre baiting with large amounts of boilies or pellets because that is plain stupid imo...;)
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Absolutly Craig, and as Crooky says so that they come to instantly recognise a particular bait.

You don't need massive amounts of bait to achieve either of those things, just time :)
 
Craig Wood said:
Hi to both Ians..
Do you think that a certain bait will catch a bigger fish?..Im not mocking either of you im very interested in your views..This season im targetting the hamps avon and dorset stour im hoping to stalk and single out the bigger fish so any info you would be happy to share will be gratefully recieved..
Regards craig
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I can't keep up here !!! :D

I believe a good quality and highly nutritional bait will outscore a mediocre bait every time.
The important part is how you apply it though.
The smaller barbel, and other species will be just as interested in it as the big barbel.

Putting to much in will attract a multitude of fish and species, if there is enough to go round the bigger Barbel will happily feed in amongst the crowd.

What i've come to believe is that with a very good quality bait, applied regularly in very small amounts, will eventually see the bigger fish in the vicinity, beggining to protect a spot that it has become accustomed to finding a small amount of quality food, knowing if it doesn't it'll lose it.

Using a bait of lesser quality may see the barbel regard it's natural food, or even other anglers bait, equally available and if it misses it's chance on a few pellets or whatever will just move to the next available food source, as Crooky says there's plenty of it.

The bait needs to be more attractive as a source of food than any other it can find. There needs to be enough to make it worthwhile for it stick around and wait for the next lot, but never enough to completly satisfy it, so that it will be reluctant to allow any other fish to feed in the area it has become accustomed to finding this quality food.
It's the law of the wild, the bigger stronger creatures get first pickings of the best food.
So application is more important than the particular bait, but never the less the bait needs to be sufficiently attractive in nutrition, for it to appeal to the Barbel in preference to any other.

Ian.
 
Barbel are Scavengers!
If you give them a choice of baits, then they 'will' make a choice or find a preference if they are not starving but just snacking, especially in summer.
If you 'don't' give them a choice of baits, then they will, within reason, eventually eat whats on offer when they become hungry or starving.

I think you will find the Luncheon Meat and Maggots are still overall the most consistant baits throughout the season.
 
But they do get choices Ray, lots of them.
Meat, and maggots were once my staple baits, and i caught loads on them,
but mostly no matter what i did it was only the average stamp of fish.
Unless you can actually see a big fish, and present it a bait, you are playing the numbers game, and why not if it's what you like.
Since i've been using this method, my results catching the bigger stamp of fish, have never been so consistant.

Ian.
 
one thing to remember is it isnt just the barbel getting this prebait....chub bream and all other coarse fish will be in as quick as the mighty barbel.

where i fish it's the carp lads/lassie's that put the bait in like i used to.

roll on the 16th
 
Snacking

Ian Grant said:
But they do get choices Ray, lots of them.
Meat, and maggots were once my staple baits, and i caught loads on them,
but mostly no matter what i did it was only the average stamp of fish.
Unless you can actually see a big fish, and present it a bait, you are playing the numbers game, and why not if it's what you like.
Since i've been using this method, my results catching the bigger stamp of fish, have never been so consistant.

Ian.
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Hi Ian...I know that they have a choice especially when there are lots of other anglers offering all types of baits on a fishery. So yes, they will make a choice and be 'pickie' to what they fancy at the time, especially in summer; and because there is usually loads of food items around and they are not necessarily that hungry or starving.
They can afford to make a choice of baits at this time.
As you say, stalking individually selected big barbel is great. Sometimes they are still 'pickie' in summer with some baits in my experience, but it can depend on how the bait is presented and whether a barbel is cautious and susses you out.
When i used to stalk or fish blind for the big barbel on the Ouse, it was just a matter of which angler got to a swim first and what bait was first introduced.
Even though the barbel may 'shy' away from certain baits at one time, they would still be caught on the very same 'shy' bait another time.
In coloured water, floods and winter then everything changes where they are not so pickie and everything is back on a level playground, to where they will normally eat as to whats on offer(within reason) when they are more hungry or starving at these times...Ray
 
Ray Walton said:
Hi Ian...I know that they have a choice especially when there are lots of other anglers offering all types of baits on a fishery. So yes, they will make a choice and be 'pickie' to what they fancy at the time, especially in summer; and because there is usually loads of food items around and they are not necessarily that hungry or starving.
They can afford to make a choice of baits at this time.
As you say, stalking individually selected big barbel is great. Sometimes they are still 'pickie' in summer with some baits in my experience, but it can depend on how the bait is presented and whether a barbel is cautious and susses you out.
When i used to stalk or fish blind for the big barbel on the Ouse, it was just a matter of which angler got to a swim first and what bait was first introduced.
Even though the barbel may 'shy' away from certain baits at one time, they would still be caught on the very same 'shy' bait another time.
In coloured water, floods and winter then everything changes where they are not so pickie and everything is back on a level playground, to where they will normally eat as to whats on offer(within reason) when they are more hungry or starving at these times...Ray
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Hi Ray,
Yes i have to agree with everything you say there, especially......

but it can depend on how the bait is presented and whether a barbel is cautious and susses you out.

It's what i've always said, it not so much the bait itself, as important as i believe that part of it is, - much more important is the way you present it, and apply it.
Targetting the bigger ones is what holds my interest, simply because it's harder than just catching Barbel, there's so much to go wrong, and does frequently, and it would get boring if it didn't, conditions, weather etc, can all throw my neat little plans straight out the window, and i might be cursing at the time, but really it's what keeps me going, the time to have a re-think, about how i'm going to deal with this or that - love it !! ;)

Ian.
 
I have been out for a wander along the Pat's this morning, i came across a chap in the Marsh spodding out approx 20 kilo's of pellets ready for the 16th................ only kidding Ian (Crook):D:D:D:D:D:D

I did have a wander along the Loddon the other evening and i did deposit a few pellets in a couple of swims to try and get the barbel moving. I was feeling rather extravagant that evening and ended up using the whole two small handfuls that i took with me, the chub enjoyed them, sadly the barbel did not appear.:(
 
Tom Herbert said:
I have been out for a wander along the Pat's this morning, i came across a chap in the Marsh spodding out approx 20 kilo's of pellets ready for the 16th................


Tom, I was infact using a bait dropper and come to think about it I only put 12kg of pellets, the rest was hemp.;)

20kg is saved just for Lodden sessions, especially quiet stretches like SE.:D:D:D:D
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Tom Herbert said:
I have been out for a wander along the Pat's this morning, i came across a chap in the Marsh spodding out approx 20 kilo's of pellets ready for the 16th................ only kidding Ian (Crook):D:D:D:D:D:D

QUOTE]

He wont see that Tom, he's in Spain chasing pussies :p
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Ian, i am sure a man of Ian's calibre will have his finger on the pulse:D:D:D:D:D:D
 
Utmost respect to you guys!
I've only been Barbel fishing for a couple of seasons so I am still very much in the "honeymoon period" of being delighted to land one of these beautiful creatures whatever it's size! I chuck out me bit of meat or pellet settle down and enjoy the wait!!!
I know I have loads to learn and really enjoy the discussions on the forum, many of which are really informative; but for now I'll just carry on enjoying the scenery and contemplating!!!!
( I have never pre baited....I don't think I am clever enough to spot the good Barbel swims!!!!!!):)
 
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